When the Stars Tremble

The Forty-Sixth Star

Zong Ye sat up, looking at her intently, his hand sliding down the wall to press on Jiang Chuyi’s shoulder.

The room was pitch black, with neon lights from the window casting shadows on his profile, like a faint rainbow or meteor in dense fog.

The phone discarded in the corner lit up briefly, then quickly went dark, automatically switching to the next English song.

“Bad boys are like expensive, pretty dolls”

“But I’m willingly here”

Thump, thump, thump, her heart was racing. Jiang Chuyi struggled to adjust her breathing.
I’m going to kiss you now.

This wasn’t a request for her permission, but rather a final notice issued after his patience had run out.

She lay on the white cashmere blanket, beneath him, her black hair disheveled. In their earlier tussle, her shirt collar had crumpled and shifted, revealing a thin strap on her shoulder.

The cool air from the hotel’s air conditioning seemed to try to cool everything in the room, but Zong Ye felt burning hot. His self-control was like a candle placed on volcanic rock, melting and crumbling.

“Torment me, discard me like trash”

“I’ve always been waiting for you to favor me”

“The devil watches intently, the angel turns a blind eye”

He slowly lowered his head, his breath warm with alcohol, kissing her temple very lightly, like a hunter giving a final gentle greeting to a dying lamb.

“Chuyi…” his tone had become a bit strange, “I might need to ask for a day off for you tomorrow.”

Jiang Chuyi blinked, “Huh?”

Zong Ye’s wild, excited kisses moved to the corner of her eye. He chuckled briefly, “Are you sure you don’t want to call it off?”

“I’ve always been waiting for you to come and leave an indelible mark on me”

“If I’m covered in wounds, I won’t dare to tell you until the very end”

Jiang Chuyi’s face was bewildered, feeling that many things had gone awry, but it was just a kiss, what was there to be afraid of? How could it warrant asking for a day off?

She thought hazily.

The room grew darker. He caressed her ear, his fingers sliding across her cheek, finally stopping at her lips.

“Your image is spotless”

“My heart is in agony”

“If you don’t leave now.” Zong Ye knelt on the fuzzy blanket, his hand slipping into her hair at the nape of her neck, “I won’t stop later.”

“I’m not leaving,” Jiang Chuyi replied.

The English song reached its climax, the woman’s voice hoarse and desperate, the accompaniment intense and passionate: “He looks up grinning like a devil”

Zong Ye pressed down on her.

Jiang Chuyi’s vision suddenly went dark, her body instantly tensing up. An overwhelming kiss fell, stifling all her muffled sounds.

The neon lights flickered chaotically before her eyes. He lifted her up, pressing her against the wall, against the glass. Behind her was the cold, hard building; in front was his body, pressed against her without any gap. Jiang Chuyi had nowhere to escape.

They seemed to melt into the blanket beneath them.

Her wrists were gripped by his hands, her legs parted by his. Her lips were forcefully pried open by his frenzied tongue, her head tilted back, forced to inhale his scent.

Jiang Chuyi didn’t understand this kind of kissing. She was a very proper person, and this was far too different from the tenderness she had imagined. It shouldn’t be like this. The kiss made her tongue go numb. At first, she wanted to push him away, but slowly realized that now it was just the two of them, just the frantic kisses mixed with sweat, saliva, and tears, nearly crushing her. She wanted to pause this game.

“Zong Ye, Zong Ye.”

Jiang Chuyi called his name helplessly, her thighs trembling, her voice unsteady.

Zong Ye didn’t stop, seeming to respond absent-mindedly as he carefully licked away the involuntary tears she shed from lack of oxygen.

The maddening kisses didn’t stop despite her pleas. He lifted her up, repeating over and over, “Chuyi, I’m sorry.”

When she said it hurt, her eyes red, he changed from biting to licking.

When she could barely make a sound, he changed from licking back to biting, biting and swallowing.

A mist formed in Jiang Chuyi’s eyes. She wanted to grab his hair, but he took her fingers into his mouth. Even normal breathing became difficult. She lost all strength, feeling weak, the world reduced to a twisted dizziness.

Zong Ye had clearly lost control, like a line of code that couldn’t be fixed.

She finally tasted the consequences of eating the poisoned apple.

The places he had ravaged all seemed swollen, her whole body felt as if doused in boiling oil, even her blood seemed to be boiling.

On this night that had spiraled out of control, Jiang Chuyi thought countless times that she should have left.

She was in a daze for a long, long time, so long that she lost track of time, so long that it seemed this would never end. The neon lights outside all went out, the sky began to lighten, dawn was breaking.

The pure little rabbit blanket had been crumpled into a mess. Jiang Chuyi was once again cradled between Zong Ye’s legs. He was still speaking, but she could no longer understand.

Her chin was gripped, tears still hanging on her eyelashes, her eyes could only look at him.
He pressed his face against her shoulder, holding her waist, his expression gentle as he murmured: “Chuyi, I want to hear you say you like me.”

“Zong Ye…” she trembled lightly, uneasy.

“Say you like me.”

Jiang Chuyi’s mind was blank. She replied with a hint of a sob, feeling wronged, “I like you.”

The world was silent, as if only their question and answer remained. Everything about her was led by Zong Ye.

“Say you only like me.”

“I… only like you.”

“Who am I?”

“Zong Ye.”

“And then?”

“I only like Zong Ye.”

“Yiyi, I only like you too.” Zong Ye smiled and tilted his head, kissing her again, “I like you so much.”

*

The Wuhan roadshow lasted two days, with the first day at the cinema and the second day at a university. Jiang Chuyi took a sick day on the second day, saying she wasn’t feeling well, and didn’t go.

When Xin He heard this news, she immediately thought of last night, when they had said goodbye to go for a walk, then disappeared without a trace, never returning…

Many guesses arose in her mind, but after glancing at Zong Ye, she still didn’t ask.

The university promotion required standing on stage and interacting with students below, which was more tiring than at the cinema.

Throughout the day, Zong Ye was clearly in a bad mood, constantly distracted. He smiled rarely even when answering questions, occasionally responding to a few words, but mostly listening in silence.

When the promotion ended and the Wuhan roadshow concluded, they returned to the hotel to find that Jiang Chuyi had already returned to Shanghai.

Wang Tan was shocked.

Back in the room, he couldn’t contain his curiosity anymore, “Bro, what did you do last night to scare her like this?”

Zong Ye fiddled with his lighter, putting a cigarette in his mouth.

The messages he sent her on WeChat still hadn’t received a reply.

“Did you go all the way? But that shouldn’t be this bad, how rough were you?”

Zong Ye didn’t answer Wang Tan’s series of questions. He wouldn’t share his private moments with Jiang Chuyi with anyone.

Zong Ye sat on the sofa, his elbow on his knee, silently smoking several cigarettes.

Wang Tan joined him for one, and through the smoke, he pointed at his friend: “You’re inexperienced in your first relationship. With a turtle type like Teacher Jiang, you need to take it slow, otherwise she’ll retreat into her shell at the slightest touch.”

Zong Ye held his forehead, “You don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand what?”

Zong Ye smiled, his meaning unclear, “You don’t understand me.”

……

……

Little Zhong was also startled when she saw the marks on Jiang Chuyi’s body. On her neck, collarbone, spreading from her shoulder to her back, against her fair skin, several kiss marks that had turned purple were particularly eye-catching.

Her lips were chapped and she had dark circles under her eyes. She had to wear a high-necked jacket, sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a mask, fully armed to wrap herself up.

The flight from Wuhan to Shanghai took two hours, and Jiang Chuyi slept exhaustedly.

Arriving at Hongqiao, Jiang Chuyi opened WeChat to find several messages from Zong Ye.

She didn’t know how to respond for a moment, and feeling unwell and lacking energy, she set it aside for now.

Since knowing Zong Ye until now, there had always been a limit in their interactions. Many times, in many situations, Zong Ye would leave the initiative in her hands.

He had warned her many times, but Jiang Chuyi remained unaware, hugging him carelessly, kissing him lightly, like children playing house. Zong Ye was too gentle, always treating her with restraint and politeness in his words and actions. Jiang Chuyi had never learned a lesson from him, had no prior experience, so naturally had no vigilance or guard up.

Thinking back, it all seemed exaggerated.

Though they said it was just kissing, Zong Ye had kissed her entire body as if addicted. She was tormented by unfamiliar desire, trembling again and again, feeling almost numbed.

Whether due to her limited experience or not watching adult films, before yesterday, Jiang Chuyi never imagined kissing could reach such a level.

Little Zhong had been hesitant the whole way, hemming and hawing several times, words on the tip of her tongue but unsure how to ask. After accompanying Jiang Chuyi home, she finally said, “Sis, was it Zong Ye…?”

Jiang Chuyi lay limply on the sofa, nodding slightly.

“My god, how could…”

Little Zhong inevitably imagined some scenes, but quickly stopped herself. She shouldn’t desecrate her idol.

Zong Ye was pure in her heart.

But the “shocking” marks all over her boss’s body reminded her that Zong Ye had a dark side unknown to others.

Who would do this normally…

Little Zhong murmured: “I’m also a bit… shocked.”

She recalled when she first became a fan, at a BloodXGentle press conference years ago. She had watched a livestream on a whim. During the interview segment, the four members came on stage one by one. Zong Ye had one hand in his pocket, a gentle smile on his face, thoughtfully waiting for others to be seated. At that moment, he captured Little Zhong’s heart.

As an entertainment industry worker, Little Zhong had heard many shocking gossips, but Zong Ye’s image in her heart had never crumbled. He never showed attitude, never acted like a diva, always polite and graceful to everyone.

Lost in thought, her phone suddenly rang in her bag.

Little Zhong took out Jiang Chuyi’s phone, looked at the caller ID, and asked carefully: “It’s Zong Ye’s call, do you want to answer?”

Jiang Chuyi turned over, stretching out her arm, “Give it to me.”

After connecting, Jiang Chuyi remained silent.

The other end was also quiet for a moment before a cautious voice came through, “Chuyi?”

Jiang Chuyi was truly frightened, her body involuntarily shuddering at the sound of his voice.

“Are you angry with me?”

Her gaze wandered, her feelings complex, “It’s not exactly anger.”

“Then, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Chuyi: “I’m a bit scared of you. I need some time to recover.”

“I’m sorry.”

This “I’m sorry” gave her goosebumps all over.

After last night, Jiang Chuyi fully understood that Zong Ye’s “I’m sorry” was no different from a “high energy warning.”

Jiang Chuyi: “Zong Ye, this really isn’t okay.”

Zong Ye made a sound of agreement, obediently admitting his mistake: “Chuyi, sometimes I can’t control myself.”

Jiang Chuyi was speechless.

Zong Ye: “Chuyi, can you forgive me?”

She asked wearily: “Can you promise not to do this again in the future?”

The other end of the phone fell silent again.

“Chuyi, I probably can’t promise you that.” Zong Ye paused, “This is my flaw, I’m sorry.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

She had already cursed Zong Ye a thousand times last night. When he stubbornly kissed a certain place, she even shouted “pervert” and “obscene” in her full-body electric trembling, but those words had no effect on him.

Now she was left with nothing but helplessness, “Let’s not see each other for a few days.”

There was a click on the other end, followed by the sound of a lighter igniting.

Jiang Chuyi added to her words: “I mean, I need to calm down. Don’t overthink it.”

She was truly frightened by the sudden burst of madness from him.

“Chuyi, I won’t do this kind of thing again until you’re ready.” Zong Ye’s attitude was very humble, “But please don’t be afraid of me, okay?”

Hearing him say this, the tension in Jiang Chuyi slowly eased.

She realized that sometimes she really had no way to deal with this person.

Although Jiang Chuyi realized the seriousness of the situation, her emotions and reason kept pulling back and forth. She still held onto a glimmer of hope, “Sigh, I’ll try my best.”

If she remembered correctly, BloodXGentle was going abroad for several fashion weeks this month. She wouldn’t have to see him for at least half a month.

Jiang Chuyi breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m not angry anymore, you focus on your work first.”

“Chuyi, I miss you very much.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

They had only been apart for a few hours.

She couldn’t help but say, “Don’t be so clingy, work is more important.”

“If I video call you, will you answer?”

Jiang Chuyi felt uneasy at his cautious attitude.

Was she the first and last person to run away scared because of this? Zong Ye was already a sensitive and delicate person… Her leaving without a word might make him overthink for a long time.

Jiang Chuyi softened her voice: “Zong Ye, I don’t blame you for yesterday, I just need to adjust. You have to give me some time, right?”

After saying this, she sighed, “You don’t need to be so careful with me either, let’s just be like before.”

*

Due to BloodXGentle’s schedule, they couldn’t participate in the later roadshows. IM could only arrange for the director and production team to complete the remaining events.

Jiang Chuyi flew to Beijing to meet Qin Tong. Jin Qing specially organized a dinner, inviting several investors, mainly to discuss Yu Tong’s new film.

Qin Tong knew her plans. Although he didn’t say anything on the surface, he was pleased inside.

Jiang Chuyi had been popular since the beginning of this year, becoming a frequent subject of hot searches. “Catching a Star” was a box office hit, and with the boost from “Shining Stars,” especially her CP with Zong Ye becoming a big trend, her fame had noticeably increased. If she struck while the iron was hot, spending two years to capitalize on her popularity, taking the route of a trending young actress wasn’t impossible.

But now she chose to cooperate with young directors like Yu Tong, refusing to appear in variety shows and quick-hit TV dramas, focusing on movies instead. This meant giving up the hard-earned popularity.

Qin Tong’s health hadn’t fully recovered, so Jiang Chuyi helped him fend off several drinks.

As the dinner was ending, she came out of the bathroom and picked up her phone to find Zong Ye had sent her a photo.

Blue-purple hazy lights, overturned bottles on the table, an ashtray full of cigarette butts, a small stage in the distance. It looked like an underground club.

Jiang Chuyi: “You’re back in the country? Where is this?”

Zong Ye: “Just arrived this afternoon, with some friends”

Jiang Chuyi: “Have you been drinking?”

Zong Ye: “Just a little, I miss you”

Jiang Chuyi: “…With your alcohol tolerance, drink less”

Jiang Chuyi: “I should be going to the Zero Degree Charity Gala in Pingcheng next week. We can meet then.”

Zong Ye: “Okay”

……

……

That night, back at the hotel, while scrolling through her phone, Jiang Chuyi discovered that Zong Ye and Fu Cheng were trending.

The cause was a niche singer posting several videos of them singing on Weibo.

Driven by curiosity, Jiang Chuyi clicked to watch. The video’s background was similar to the photo Zong Ye had sent her, likely a private gathering.

Zong Ye sat on a high stool at the small stage, lazily pulling down the microphone stand, singing “Cruel Summer”.

The melody was too familiar, making Jiang Chuyi blush.

This was the song that had automatically played on his phone that night before Zong Ye kissed her.

He seemed slightly tipsy while singing, very different from his usual public image, appearing a bit decadent and carefree.

The comments under this video were unsightly.

[Zong Ye? Damn, he really does smoke and drink in private, this is what adults should see…]

[Is this the Zong Ye I know? Not wearing clothes properly, not sitting properly, this man is so cunning, who is he trying to seduce???]

[How can he sing this kind of song with such a sexy voice??? Especially that line “I love you ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard”, ahhh, how can he make such a sad lyric sound so sexy?!!]

[Who understands, a deep voice singing angrily is super aggressive, both lustful and dominant, wuwuwu, I feel like Zong Ye is plucking my G-string with his voice… so attractive… By the way, doesn’t anyone think Zong Ye’s hands are very erotic? Especially when holding the microphone, and when playing the bass, why not play me instead…]

[Sister above, can you pick up your G-string? It flew onto my face.]

Jiang Chuyi read the comments with wide eyes, each one more vulgar than the last. As she was scrolling, Zong Ye’s video call came in.

Jiang Chuyi took about ten seconds before answering.

The phone screen shook a couple of times, and his face appeared in the video. He seemed to be leaning against a corridor wall, “What are you doing?”

Jiang Chuyi: “I just saw your trending topic, took a look.”

He didn’t react immediately: “What trending topic?”

“The one of you singing.”

A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, “How was my singing?”

Jiang Chuyi’s mind flashed to those shameless comments. She maintained a calm expression, “It was… quite good, full of emotion.”

His words were suggestive: “Mm, because I was thinking of you the whole time I was singing.”

Jiang Chuyi: “…”

She awkwardly changed the subject, “I also heard someone calling you ‘boss’, why do they call you that? It sounds a bit like a gang.”

Zong Ye seemed to find her adorable, laughing to himself for a while before saying, “I should be their boss in the future.”

Jiang Chuyi: “Huh?”

“I forgot to tell you, after Fu Cheng and I terminate our contracts, we plan to start a company.”

“Oh…” Jiang Chuyi sincerely praised, “That’s amazing.”

Jiang Chuyi’s arm was getting sore from holding up the phone, so she changed position, lying on the bed and propping her face with her hand.

He looked at Jiang Chuyi.

Listening to her voice.

Loving her desperately, yet feeling unbearably pained.

Wanting to see her, kiss her…

Jiang Chuyi remembered the scene in the video and reminded him, “When you’re out gathering with friends, you should still dress properly…”

“What’s wrong?”

Jiang Chuyi said tactfully: “You looked a bit too casual. When this kind of video gets out, it might affect your image a bit.”

He still smiled: “Chuyi, I’m quite conservative, don’t worry.”

“You…” Jiang Chuyi hesitated, her voice rising in a questioning tone, “Conservative?”

“Am I not conservative?” Zong Ye’s Adam’s apple moved up and down as he slowly said, “Then why, after kissing you, did I start thinking about marriage?”